This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application entitled Computer earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Aug. 4, 2000, and there duly assigned Ser. No. 2000-45284 by that Office.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to computer systems, and more particularly, to a computer system having a monitor movably coupled to a main body.
2. Description of Background Art
A computer system (sometimes referred to simply as a xe2x80x9ccomputerxe2x80x9d) usually includes a main body having a central processing unit (CPU) and a random access memory (RAM), etc., a monitor electrically connected to the main body, for displaying pictures to the outside, and an input unit including a keyboard for inputting information and data into the main body, and a mouse, etc. The main body further includes a disk drive, and a variety of cards such as a graphic card, etc.
The speed of processing data is determined depending upon the speed of the CPU and the capacity of the RAM, etc. Recently, computers have been developed with a higher speed of processing data according to the development of semiconductors and CPU techniques. Especially, personal computers as well as host computers called xe2x80x9cserversxe2x80x9d used in networks have been actively developed.
A personal computer can be categorized into a desktop computer and a notebook computer. The desktop computer separately has a main body, a monitor and a keyboard. The notebook computer integrally includes the main body, the monitor and the keyboard, making it convenient to carry the notebook computer.
In the case of the notebook computer, the monitor is only allowed to move up and down (i.e, tilt) relative to the main body. In order for the monitor of the notebook computer to be viewed by some persons around the user of the computer, the main body with which the monitor is assembled, has to be moved in a horizontal direction (i.e., swivel), making it inconvenient to use the computer. Especially, where the size of the main body is extended considering the capacity of a memory or an integration level of a card, etc., it is not easy to swivel the main body of the computer system.
Exemplars of the art are U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,420 issued to Kim et al. for LCD DISPLAY APPARATUS, U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,373 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,570 issued to Ditzik for DESKTOP COMPUTER WITH ADJUSTABLE FLAT PANEL SCREEN, U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,231 issued to Crockett for COMPUTER DISPLAY ASSEMBLY, U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,915 issued to Evans for PIVOTABLE DISPLAY FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,817 issued to Chang for COMPUTER APPARATUS HAVING A MOVABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,994 issued to Robinson et al. for INTEGRATED COMPUTER ASSEMBLY. I have found that the background art does not show a computer system having a display connected to main body that can have all the viewing angles of the present invention and yet be stably supported and have a compact structure.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above described problems of the background art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a computer system having a monitor capable of being both tilted and swiveled with respect to the main body.
It is another object to have a computer system that has a display stably connected to a main body of the computer system and yet allow a wide range of viewing angles.
It is still another object to have a compact profile for a display connected to a main body of a computer system that has a wide range of viewing angles.
It is yet another object to have a display that is integral with a mainbody that minimizes the space taken by the monitor while being able have a wide range of viewing angles.
This and other objects of the present invention may be achieved by the provision of a computer system having a monitor integrated with a main body, through which pictures are projected out. The computer system further including a swiveling member installed between the main body and the monitor, for allowing the monitor to be laterally swiveled relative to the main body; and a tilting member assembled with the swiveling member, for allowing the monitor to be tilted transversely relative to the swiveling movement of the swiveling member.
Effectively, the swiveling member has a main body bracket coupled to the main body and having a first hinge hole formed through a plane thereof; and a rotatable bracket rotatably coupled relative to the main body bracket and having a second hinge hole communicating with the first hinge hole.
The computer system further includes an elongated hole having the form of a cam profile and formed through the plane of the main body bracket; and a projection projected out of a plane of the rotatable bracket and inserted into the elongated hole of the main body bracket, defining a rotation degree of the rotatable bracket relative to the main body bracket.
A rotatable pin is integrally inserted into the first and second hinge holes, and a nut provided to at least one end of the rotatable pin, for coupling the rotatable pin to the main body bracket and the rotatable bracket.
The tilting member has a shaft connected to one end of the rotatable bracket, and a monitor bracket whose one end is coupled to the monitor and whose other end is inserted into the shaft, being rotated along the circumference of the shaft. The monitor bracket is provided in a pair, each being detachably connected to each end of the shaft. A rotation limiting unit is provided for limiting the rotation degree of the rotatable bracket relative to the shaft. The rotation limiting unit has a stopper projected out of each end portion of the shaft, and a cut part formed in each monitor bracket, being caught in the stopper with a predetermined locus when the monitor bracket is rotated.
The tilting member includes a shaft connected to one end of the rotatable bracket, and a monitor bracket whose one end is coupled to the monitor and whose other end is inserted into the shaft, being rotated along the circumference of the shaft. The monitor bracket is provided in a pair, each being detachably connected to each end of the shaft.
Preferably, at least one engagement hole is formed in the plane of the main body bracket along the circumference thereof, and the first hinge hole is located in the center thereof. Preferably, the main body is formed with a bracket accommodating portion into which the main body bracket is inserted.
A bracket cover is coupled to the bracket accommodating portion to cover the main body bracket, thereby improving outer appearance of the main body. A bracket accommodating portion is provided on a portion of the monitor toward the main body, for allowing the monitor bracket to be coupled thereto, and a bracket cover coupled to the bracket accommodating portion, for covering at the monitor bracket.
The computer system further includes a compensation part for compensating for a gravity center of the monitor relative to the main body. The compensation part includes a pair of twisted coil springs having one end disposed to the rotatable bracket and having another end disposed to the monitor bracket, being elastically biased opposite to the rotation direction of the monitor bracket. The swiveling member is disposed on a side of the top of the main body. A base plate in a planar type is detachably installed on a bottom of the main body, for supporting the main body and the monitor.